Founded in 1981, Universidade Potiguar (UnP) offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs at campuses in the northeastern Brazilian cities of Natal and Mossoro. With more than 37,000 students, UnP is the largest higher education institution in the North-Northeast region of Brazil.

Universidade Potiguar has earned the highest level of postsecondary accreditation in Brazil and has contributed to the intellectual and economic development of Rio Grande do Norte and Brazil. UnP offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in a variety of academic disciplines, including:

Business and management

Communication and arts

Culinary arts

Education

Engineering and information technology

Health sciences

Hospitality management

Law

UnP is well known for its online, hybrid and distance learning programs and its health sciences curriculum. The university is also home to two Centers of Excellence. The first is Empreende, an incubator which serves alumni and students in subjects focused on entrepreneurship and innovation. The second, e-Labora, provides research to solve real-world problems in industry and large companies, promoting sustainable development within Brazil.

UnP involves students in serving the community in many ways, including:

Health clinics that provide services to thousands of outpatients every year

Legal aid services

Digital education programs

Formal educational projects focused on helping the socioeconomically disadvantaged population

Business and entrepreneurship projects

Environmental projects

Universidade Potiguar has received the highest level of evaluation for such programs as business administration, accounting sciences, social services and nursing. Several UnP courses have been recognized by Guia do Estudante, an annual Brazilian student guide that ranks university programs throughout Brazil. UnP was the first private university in Rio Grande do Norte to receive a license to open a medical school. For the third year in a row, UnP was named the most recognized higher education institution in Natal by the Top Natal survey, conducted by the Consult Institute and Tribuna do Norte.

The University has been recognized nationally and internationally in the Employability aspect, winning the award Reimagine Educação, of Wharton- QS Star 2015 in the category "Nurturing Employability". Also, it won international recognition, becoming part of the QS Stars with overall three star rating . The Center of Excellence, Empreende, won the LatAm Awards in the category Best Academic Initiative of Laureate.